Canine Diet & Activity
The main components of weight loss are diet and activity. Every owner wants to know the best weight loss dog food, and there are many on the market that advertise “lite” or “low calorie”. Once we have calculated the daily calories that a specific dog needs in order to lose weight, we must find a food that will supply the given amount of calories in a volume sufficient to make the dog feel satisfied. Some of these diet foods actually have more calories per cup than a better quality non diet food. The food must still be a high quality and provide all of the daily nutrient requirements, or it can be supplemented with an appropriate vitamin supplement. I’m afraid there is no single best dog food for weight loss, because dog breeds are different, and individual dogs are different, and they need to be treated as such in order to find the best way to help them. Most obese dogs actually ingest more calories from treats, snacks and people food than they do from their dog food, so the owners must really be dedicated to their dog losing weight. That does not mean your dog can never have another bedtime snack – it just means we have to calculate the calories involved and add it to the daily total. The whole family needs to be on the same page. Sure, the dog enjoys snacks and treats, but he’ll enjoy having a healthier and more comfortable life even more.
Overweight dogs often have uncomfortable joints and legs from carrying around more weight than they were designed for. Strenuous exercise can be difficult, if not impossible, and is often contraindicated.
Canine degenerative joint disease & Arthritis
Many pets as they age (cats as well as dogs) develop degenerative joint disease or arthritis. This makes movement difficult and painful so they move less, spend more time snoozing in the sun, and begin to gain weight. It is not uncommon to have elderly overweight dogs and cats with arthritis come in for weight loss consultation. Although it can seem daunting at first, as with any weight loss goal, the hardest part is getting started and making the decision to actively get it done.
Canine Medications & Exercise
After a thorough physical exam by your veterinarian to insure there are no underlying diseases, these overweight dogs usually start with anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy for the arthritis. We develop some appropriate dog exercises for you, and show you easy ways to stretch and manipulate the legs to improve joint motion. Aquatic therapy is a great place to start since the buoyancy of the water decreases the stress on the legs while allowing calorie burning exercise. A few short walks a day are added, and after 3-4 weeks many dogs have had their medications decreased. Most people find it helpful to use our drop-off option for the first month or two so we can do multiple short exercise sessions a day with their pet to get them started on their weight-loss path. As another benefit, the dogs are more active on their own while they enjoy watching the activity at the clinic. Stay tuned for our next article on dog exercise programs for weight loss!
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